I'll Be There For You
by tayababy
Summary: I'll be there for you, coz we've been there before; I'll be there for you, coz you're there for me too. She is there for him, when he needs her, just like he has her. Companion to 'Lean on Me'


**I'll Be There For You**

_I'll be there for you, coz we've been there before; I'll be there for you, coz you're there for me too. She is there for him, when he needs her, just like he has her._

_This is a companion piece to _Lean On Me_, and I dedicate it to myboygeorge and NCISchick, because we're there for each other. Ladies, you're the best._

"Beckett."

She knew it was Castle calling; caller ID confirmed that, but she couldn't hear anything over the line, so she checked the screen to make sure it was still connected. It was, but he still wasn't talking; for a talkative man, this scared her. A lot.

"Castle? Are you alright?"

She heard a sniff through the phone, and the shuddering deep breath he took in; it told her all she needed to know.

"Don't move, just stay where you are, I'm coming over."

She didn't disconnect the call, even just breathing over the line to each other; it was comforting for both of them to know the other was still there.

He could hear her every move; the beep-beep of the Crown Vic unlocking, the rustling of the keys, the insertion of them into the ignition. He heard the turn signal, first left, then a little while later, right; he knew the way to his loft from the precinct like the back of his hand.

She could hear him on the other side, the shudders slowing down, becoming less frequent, his breathing evening out. Pulling into the underground parking lot, she left the car in her spot; he had had one designated for her once they had become permanent figures in the other's lives, albeit unwittingly; and ran up the fire escape into the lobby to be greeted by the doorman.

"Detective Beckett! To what do we owe the pleasure today?" Thomas greeted her.

Kate smiled. "How many times have I told you to call me Kate, Thomas?" she teased.

The older man tipped his hat, "My mother raised a gentleman, Detective, just as I raised my sons."

It was the same response they exchanged every time, and the familiarity of the conversation made her smile slightly. "Do you know what's wrong with him?" she tipped her head in the direction of the loft.

Thomas called the elevator and smiled. "He has yet to come down today, Detective, and has not received any deliveries. Is there a problem?"

Kate shook her head; the arrival of the elevator not only saved her from replying, but also helped her keep Rick's unknown problems private. "I'll see you later, Thomas," she bid him goodbye.

"Likewise Detective; have a good day."

Once the elevator had started its ascent, Kate rechecked her phone; the connection with Rick was still active. She smiled at the thought, and as the 'ding' alerted her to her arrival at Rick's floor, she closed off the connection.

The door was unlocked and waiting for her; without any pomp or circumstance, she found herself in a darkened loft, Rick sitting on the floor next to the barren fireplace, looking astutely at the floor. He was sitting with his back against the wall, his legs drawn up to his chest, forearms resting on his knees with his phone clutched in hand.

"Rick?" she cautiously approached him. "Rick, what happened?"

He looked up at her, and Kate could immediately see the tear tracks on her partner's face. His eyes were red and puffy, his nose not much better. As she moved closer, she could see the pile of tissues on the floor next to him. "Kate," he croaked out.

Uh oh, she thought; he only ever called her Kate when something was really wrong. She quickly locked the door behind her, dumped her handbag on the couch, and slid down the wall next to him, mirroring his position.

Rick slipped one hand over their knees into hers, grasping it tightly. Neither said anything as they both just sat there, his hand tightly clasped in hers, both waiting for the other to say something.

Eventually, just when the numbness in Kate's tailbone was approaching the point of no return, Rick spoke.

"Mother and Alexis were in a car accident today," his voice was just louder than a whisper. "They were going through the intersection at 31st and Lex when a truck ran the red light, slamming straight into the front right guard of the taxi they were in."

He paused, and Kate knew better than to encourage him; her steady silent support was enough, and her tight grip on his hand grounded him.

"The truck spun the taxi around into the oncoming traffic, and another one smashed into the side Alexis was on, before the truck's bed hit the right rear guard behind Mother," he paused, tears beginning to run down his cheeks again, letting out a strangled sob before he continued. "They were sandwiched within a taxi, between another taxi and a truck, pinned beneath all of this metal. It was a disaster…"

"Rick, where are they now?" Kate asked, pulling her phone up again. She stood up, ready to call in Ryan, Esposito and Lanie, and move as quickly as needed. "Which hospital are they in?"

"St Vincent's," he choked out, rubbing his face with the palms of his hands. "The paramedics took them there, and someone from the ER called me, then I called you."

He looked up at her, standing there with her wavy chestnut brown hair flowing down over her shoulders. The way the soft lighting fell around her made him see a halo floating above the crown of her head. "I don't think I can do this alone, Kate," he whispered, never breaking eye contact.

There was only one thing she could say in response. Kate squatted down, balancing on the balls of her feet, and grabbed both of his hands. "You don't have to do this alone, Rick. I'm here for you, and I'll always be here for you; just like you're always here for me."

**CASTLEBECKETTCASKETT**

The ER at St Vincent's was no more crowded than usual when Rick and Kate arrived. They had both left their public, professional personas at the loft, silently agreeing this was not the time for their usual light-hearted bantering. This time, they were freaked out parents of an injured teen and her equally injured grandmother.

Kate immediately walked to the admitting desk, Rick trailing behind her like a little lost boy. "Excuse me, my daughter and mother-in-law were brought in from a smash on 31st and Lex; my husband and I would like to see them now."

Now was also not the time to explain their complicated relationship to nosey nurses; Kate had agreed with Rick that for the day, she was his wife, and she would do the talking. It wasn't like he was in any state to do anything but break down and cry again anyway, so Kate accepted that role, taking charge quickly and expertly.

"And you are?" the nurse asked in a bored voice, looking up from her computer screen.

"We're her parents," she answered with her no-nonsense tone usually reserved for criminals.

"Patient's name?" the nurse asked, taking note of Kate's harsh glare.

"Alexis Castle and Martha Rogers."

There was a tapping of keys, probably the pulling of patient files, before her face turned back to them. "If you'll just follow Nurse Platts here, she'll take you to their room."

Kate smiled her thanks, grabbed Rick's hand and together they followed the nurse through the 'Restricted Area' swinging doors towards the ER patient rooms. Nurse Platts brought them to a stop outside a single door, indicating they could enter.

"Your daughter and mother-in-law are in here, Mrs Castle, if anyone needs anything, just press the call button and someone will attend to you quickly."

Kate watched as she walked away, before turning to Rick. "Come on, it can't be too bad if they're not in a trauma room," trying to be positive; she didn't think she could handle any more heartbreak.

Rick took a step forward, approaching the door ever so slowly, but then he stopped with no warning.

"Rick? Are you okay?"

"I don't think I can do this," he whispered, his throat threatening to choke up again. "What if they're horribly disfigured, or bald, or in full body casts with hundreds of broken bones? What if one of them is on life support and the doctors want me to flick the switch? What if…"

"Stop right there," Kate interrupted him forcefully. "Richard Castle, you stop right there. I want you to listen to me, okay?"

Rick nodded slowly, bringing his tear-filled eyes up from the floor to look at he directly. "I'm listening."

"Good," she grabbed his cheeks with her hands and spoke with a soft but forceful voice. "It won't matter if they're horribly disfigured, because you would do anything and everything to put it right, from finding the best plastic surgeons in the world, to the best in prosthetics if that's what they needed. It won't matter if one is bald, or in a full body cast with hundreds of broken bones, because after helping them through the healing process, you would find the best physio money can buy and move them into the loft for as long as necessary. And don't you ever, _ever_, consider listening to the opinions of one or two doctors who recommend switching off life support without flying in consultants from all over the world first."

She couldn't help the tears starting to build up behind her own eyes, but tried to shake them off before they fell; she had to be the strong one today, she had to be his rock, just like he had been for her. Her hands dropped from his face to rest on his shoulders; just enough contact to keep him grounded.

"I don't know if I can do any of that alone," he whispered, dropping his head.

"You don't have to," Kate replied immediately. "I will always be there for you, Rick, always; no matter what."

Rick sighed and took a deep breath. He lifted his head to stare deep into her eyes again. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do, you buffoon."

Rick nodded and took another deep breath. "I think I'm ready now."

Kate nodded, taking his hand once more. "Okay."

He let her push open the door to let them into the room, and as they stepped over the threshold, even though he never let go of her hand for an instant, he turned back to her for a moment. "You'll be there?"

She smiled. "I'll be there for you Rick, because you're there for me too."


End file.
